


Friend

by Pi (Rhea)



Category: Last Exile
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-23
Updated: 2011-11-23
Packaged: 2017-10-26 11:15:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/282400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhea/pseuds/Pi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>written 2008, with some cannon in-compliant flaws, the friendship of Dio and Lucciola.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Friend

Luciola couldn’t remember much of his life before he became Dio’s. He often assumed he’d had parents and when Dio went off with his sister, maybe siblings too. Of course, Luciola knew these were traitorous thoughts. With Luciola’s presentation to Dio as a gift; from the moment of being given his name, Luciola had no family, no one to serve or care for but Dio and certainly no friends. Of course, they were both very young and even if Luciola understood his place from ingrained training all his life, Dio didn’t. At first Luciola refused the other boy returning whatever trinkets Dio found for him as soon as Dio wasn’t looking, refusing to eat in his presence, no matter how hungry he was, never responding to a kind question or tries for conversation with more than a word. He knew what Delphine would say if he abused his place at Dio’s side by being friendly, he now had more than he could ever have imagined and was not about to put it at risk. And so Dio became forced to accept Luciola as his silent, constant companion and guard, but Dio never stopped trying.

As time passed Luciola eventually began to give in. On the seventh anniversary of the day he received his name Dio snuck him a cake, no one had ever given him a “birthday party” before. Surprised he accepted. It tasted good but Dio seemed distressed and this confused Luciola. “If you like something it has to show on your face.” Dio insisted. “My face?” Luciola had spent all his time schooling his face to the proper blankness of the guard of a noble such as Dio. Dio smiled and leaned in, licking a stray bit of frosting from Luciola’s face. Luciola tried to look happy, but found himself crying as Dio leaned in to whisper to him. Then the two giggled, or rather Dio giggled and Luciola tried to show how happy he was, fingers and faces coated with icing because Dio had forgotten forks. It was then Luciola resolved that someday he’d do the same for Dio, someday he’d state his friendship and give Dio a proper birthday.

Dio grew older, but never lost his playful enthusiasm. Luciola never left him. Dio’s sister, Maestro Delphine, approved of Luciola’s constant presence and protection. He would always remember the day when they were twelve and she interrupted them, blowing in like the capricious, cruel wind she always was. Luciola had been braiding Dio’s hair, face in his composed, perpetually blank expression he still couldn’t’ seem to shake, and Dio talking a-mile-a-minute. She surveyed them with her sharp eyes. Luciola hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until she smiled, thin lips parting over sharp little teeth. She’d given him then the choice of a lifetime: to remain as he ways, just a servant, or to join Dio as his personal guard and pair, to pilot along side him and receive the training to fly for the Guild. Of course he would receive none of any honors bestowed upon Dio, even if he helped, but he could protect and stay with the boy he’d secretly begun to call ‘friend’, in return.

Things were different once he accepted, no longer did he live in fear of miss step as a pair he had to be in sync with Dio so they could fight as one they no took meals together, Luciola seldom leaving Dio’s company. The barracks for training were, of course, harsher than what Dio was used to, but he entered them with the same happy adventurousness that he approached everything. They worked well as a team and soon grew renowned and respected by their peers. No one dismissed Luciola around Dio, and all those seeking to use Dio and his happy friendship and openness found themselves barred by Luciola’s cold stare and constant presence. Dio was the tactical genius, but Luciola could be counted on to do any job or request Dio made immediately, and to perfection. With their notoriety Luciola grew nervous and discomforted. He was certain more than just his senses were telling him of danger. He’d never liked Delphine, she was calculating, never out-rightly slighting her brother, but Luciola couldn’t help his irrational fear of her, beyond the fact that she could take Dio away from him. He wasn’t worried for himself. He wanted to get Dio as far away from her claws as he could. So when the opportunity came up Luciola leapt at it. Dio was reluctant to leave, but it was almost tradition for the best of the Guild to take on a challenge or just sojourn in the world beyond the Guild before their final birthday.

Luciola was familiar with Dio’s flighty ways. When his young master took interest in the two siblings and their human cargo he thought nothing of it. As things settled he knew it was a good community, the ship Silvana. As long as Delphine didn’t catch them there, maybe they could get free forever. None of the others at the academy were easy friends with Dio, so Klaus and his sister were a welcome addition to Dio’s life, even if Luciola felt slightly jealous of the other boy. Luciola liked Klaus well enough, and Dio smiled and laughed more freely, with out the subconscious threat of his sister hanging over his head. Still, Luciola couldn’t help watching the calendar in the mess hall, ticking down the days. He tried not to feel uneasy. And when the day came and they threw Dio’s birthday party, Luciola might have cried. He remembered vaguely other peoples birthdays in the servants quarters long ago (he’d never known his own), and knew Dio had never had that camaraderie or friendship. In those shining moments Luciola’s heart broke and he was decided. This was the life meant for Dio and he would do anything to give him that, to keep it this way.

He was not prepared when the Guild stormed the Silvana. His dreams for Dio popping like soap bubbles against Lady Delphine herself, his hopes became small, pointless and impossible. He could not defend a ship on his own. And he was not able to discreetly contact Dio and tell him to never return as he wished he could. His heart ached, but years of training and practice kept his face blank. Dio and Klaus returned. Luciola could see the horror in the stiffening of Dio’s spine, but he did not dare do anything more drastic than answer “yes Lady Delphine”. When Dio punched him, Luciola welcomed the pain, any punishment for his inadequacy. Yet he could still think of now way out. Dio and Luciola knew what lay ahead, Luciola only wished he could convey his fear, that he wished to share Dio’s pain, that he was here, anything, but with Delphine listening it was a cold and silent flight to the Guild. Dio was whisked away as soon as they arrived. Luciola tried to keep his hands from visibly shaking as he helped Klaus and Al.

When Dio finally emerged, clad in austere b lack, Luciola felt his heart soar, and plummet. Dio was fine, but not fine at all. It made Luciola physically ill to watch Dio act so docile, a child-like doll. Everything that was Dio, sucked away. Luciola had never been a violent person, but he’d never wanted to hurt someone so badly. He tilted his head away to hide his face. Delphine seemed to know, to laught at him, pawing Dio with clawed hands. And Luciola could do nothing. He could never do anything. To misstep was to loose Dio forever. But hadn’t he already? “How can you do this?” Klaus was shouting. “Luciola, is this okay with you.” The other boy’s eyes were wide and frightened. It wasn’t okay, oh how it wasn’t. He squeezed his eyes shut as Delphine laughed, her cruel, silken voice binding him. The glass shattered. Picking up the pieces carefully as he always had, Luciola knew what he had to do. He would make things right. After that it was almost easy to sneak them out. There was only so many seats in a vanship, two. Klaus and Al double, Dio in navigation. Luciola knew there was no time for goodbyes. Dio’s absence would be noticed quickly. Luciola only hoped he could stall Delphine for long enough.

And so he found himself approaching her throne. If anywhere blame lay, it was at her feet. Dio would forgive him when he regained his senses. Things must not go on as they were. Luciola would make it right. Indeed he had no choice, his heart had decided long ago. “What are you to Dio, Luciola?” “I am Lord Dio’s friend.”


End file.
